This fascinating talk by Pat Smith was entitled ‘A Saurian in Margate’ but Pat said it could equally well be called ‘The Devil is in the Detail’. The talk started with photographs of the same soldier in two different uniforms – the differences weren’t obvious but by studying the details of badges, collars and the uniforms themselves, many facts could be derived and even the chronology of the photos could be determined by close scrutiny. Pat said that by investigating the details and looking beyond the obvious, you could find out a lot more information.
The main part of the talk was about funerary hatchments and the information that could be derived from them. Local heraldic painters made pre-prepared hatchments which were finished on the death of a local dignitary entitled to bear arms. The hatchment was displayed over the deceased’s doorway to give notice of his/her death and remained there for many months before being transferred to the church. The shield in the hatchment was divided into two, the dexter (latin for right) and sinister (left), from the viewpoint of the shield’s bearer (but from the viewpoint of the viewer – the opposite!). Traditionally, the husband’s or male arms appeared on the dexter and if deceased, the background was black while the wife’s paternal arms were on the sinister: the sinister might be split if there were two wives, with the surviving wife’s arms on a white background. Pat had investigated the hatchment, found in the church of Margate St. John, of a branch of the D’Albiac or Dalbiac family. The Dalbiacs were a Huguenot silk-weaving family who had escaped from France to Spitalfields, London, in the late 1600s. Her in-depth research involving heraldry, family history research of wills and marriages and information from the Huguenot Society, gave Pat the leads she needed to identify the family members represented on the hatchment and clear up any earlier misconceptions.
Pat’s advice when studying all sources of family history, be it monuments, documents, photographs etc. is to look laterally and not just to accept received wisdom. By using some more uncommon sources and the information they provide, you may gain another angle into the past. When you consider all the facts that you are certain of, if something doesn’t fit, don’t be afraid to challenge authority!
Lesley J Smith, Secretary of Deal & District Branch of Kent FHS